Chapter 112 - 154

Winter's end was a long ways off, and the air was cold, though he did not feel it. That was thanks to his fur. His entire body was covered in lustrous black fur, and wearing a set of clothes on top of that would provide for excellent insulation.

He would not shiver even if he wore a suit of metallic full plate armor instead.

However, he was shivering for a different reason now.

That reason was anger.

Calling that tremendous anger "wrath" would not be too far off.

A low growl escaped him — like that which a carnivorous beast would make — and he clicked his tongue in embarrassment.

For members of his race ― the Zoastia ― making animal noises was proof that they could not control their emotions; a shameful display for an adult.

However, that was only among fellow members of his species.

Anyone else who heard that growl leak from between his sharp teeth would have been trembling in fear or frozen in terror.

He turned his back on the human city which he had been staring at just now and returned to his camp.

Their supreme commander was Jaldabaoth, their ruler who wielded overwhelming might. Many races were gathered beneath him, and many pointless disputes broke out between them every day.

The forces of the Demi-human Alliance were divided into three main detachments.

The first were the 40,000 troops arrayed against the Southern Holy Kingdom's military.

The second were the 50,000 troops responsible for managing and guarding the camps which held prisoners from the Holy Kingdom.

The third were the 10,000 troops responsible for scouting the Northern Holy Kingdom, recovering various resources, and other miscellaneous tasks.

The personnel here comprised 40,000 of the 50,000 troops allocated to managing the prison camps.

It was only natural that with such numbers in attendance their campgrounds would be bustling, yet nobody blocked his path, and he did not stop or even slow his pace.

Surely there was nobody in the world who would dare stand in the path of a massive, rolling boulder.

Nobody present dared stand in his way, given the air of dominance around him.

He walked as though he were alone in a wasteland, and soon a particularly ostentatious tent came into view.

There were demi-human soldiers standing before it, but they were not guards.

They were there to heed the orders of the tent's occupants. In other words, they were servants.

They fearfully cleared a path for him, and he savagely pulled aside the cloth hanging over its entrance, whereupon the five demi-humans within immediately glared sharply at him.

The demi-humans within could be counted among the top ten members of the demi-human forces, demons excepted. While he could feel the physical weight of their gazes upon him, his calm demeanor did not change in the slightest.

As a fellow member of those ten beings, he instead snorted and plopped himself down onto one of the empty seats. That said, his bestial lower body meant that taking a seat was more like lying down.

Although one of the five nodded lightly to him, he paid that person no heed as his eyes fixed firmly on the demi-human occupying the seat of honor.

Said demi-human was a being that looked like a snake that had grown arms.

The scales on its body had a wet sheen to them and threw off a bizarre riot of colors that did justice to its nickname of "Rainbow Scales." Not only were they beautiful, their hardness was said to rival those of Dragons. In addition, it possessed high-level magic resistance and was equipped with a large shield and a suit of enchanted plate armor. When one factored in its warrior prowess as well, said being might well qualify as the toughest entity in the Abelion Hills.

This demi-human was Rokesh of the Nagarajas. He was the demi-human who had been appointed as commander of this detachment by the Demon Emperor.

Resting beside him was his favored weapon, the Trident of Desiccation, which possessed a dreadful power.

"―Why aren't we attacking yet?"

He directed the question to Rokesh in a subdued tone.

It had been a full three days since they had reached the city which the pitiful human resistance had taken over, yet not even a skirmish had broken out since then.

"…I know the human walls are troublesome, but surely they're nothing in the face of our numbers, aren't they?"

This was especially true for those members of the Demi-human Alliance who could completely disregard the existence of such walls. There ought to be no difficulty if said individuals were carefully managed.

"Frightened, are we?"

"Demon Claw-dono."

A vicious expression bloomed on his ― Vijar Rajandala's ― face as he was addressed with the title of "Demon Claw." He swept his eyes over the other member of his species who was present before turning back towards the Nagaraja.

The title of "Demon Claw" was known throughout the foothills, and had been for almost two centuries now.

This was not because Zoastias were a long-lived race but because the title was passed down through the generations.

To him, this title was something he had inherited from his father. He knew very well that it was inappropriate for him at the moment. That was why he had to build his reputation in the upcoming series of battles.

Yet, he had not been able to prove his strength ― as the inheritor of the title ― to the world so far.

Everyone he had beaten so far was weak. There had not been any who could take more than a single blow from his enchanted two-handed battleaxe, "Edge Wing."

This state of affairs could not be allowed to continue.

He could not allow this war to end while others still knew him as a mere minion of the archfiend Jaldabaoth. He needed a chance to make a name for himself as a warrior, and now was the time.

However, Rokesh still did not intend to attack. Vijar's dissatisfaction with that decision was why he spoke to the former in that way.

"They say the Grand King used to hold that city. Don't tell me you're scared just because the enemy has someone who could defeat him?"

The Grand King ― the king who had led the Bafolk to greatness.

He had been one of the top ten demi-humans, like himself.

Vijar was confident that he stood on even footing with the Grand King, despite the latter's annoying martial arts which could break weapons. Anyone who could beat the Grand King must surely be a worthy opponent.

"I'll deal with her, so why aren't we attacking yet?"

He could think of only one person who could defeat someone of the Grand King's power.

It must be that female human paladin from the rumors. If what they say is true, she might have been able to beat the Grand King.

He sketched a hazy image of a paladin with a glowing sword in his mind.

"Vijar-dono. The fact that you, a commander, would say such things despite coming in late without a word of apology makes me… don't get so excited, I know, I know."

Rokesh waved him off in a relaxed fashion.

"My my. Ignorant chicks do make a lot of noise even when they know nothing."

The person who was snickering just now had four arms. She was the queen of the Magelos, a woman with the moniker of "Iceflame Lightning" ― Nasrene Bert Kiuru.

Vijar wrinkled his brow.

He felt that he could beat her in a melee fight, but Nasrene was adept at magic, so he was afraid she could turn the tables on him in some unexpected way if it came to a fight. Even so, he ― as an inheritor of the name "Demon Claw" ― would not be able to face his ancestors if he meekly let someone call him a chick.

"And old hags who like to sit on their asses cause trouble for the rest of us too."

The Magelos were quite long-lived, but she ought to have been more than halfway through her lifespan, given that Vijar had heard of her nickname throughout the hills when he was a child.

He could not tell the age of her skin when inspecting her face due to all the cosmetics she wore, but the fact that she was covering it up meant that she must have felt her age too. In addition, surely that floral fragrance surrounding her was a sign of using perfume to mask her old folks' stench, was it not?

"―Ho."

Nasrene narrowed her eyes and an icy chill filled the air in the tent. This was a physical, not psychological phenomenon.

"―I'm not lying, am I?"

Vijar straightened himself up as he said that. A Zoastia's lower body was not a pretty decoration, but something which possessed a beast's dexterity and explosive power. While his usual fighting style would have involved hunkering down for a charge in order to make full use of his physical abilities, he did not do that now. That was because he wanted to present himself as the one with the advantage, who had simply ceded the initiative to his opposition.

"This isn't just a matter of lying, is it? I ought to teach you how to address ladies with respect. That's also my duty as your predecessor."

Amidst all this tension, Rokesh spoke up:

"Contain yourselves, you two. This is a war council. If the two of you continue making trouble here, I'll have to report this to Jaldabaoth-sama."

Now that Rokesh had brought up the name of their absolute superior, the two of them had no choice but to back down. Still, they continued glaring at each other, as though to say "This isn't over yet," and "You start a fight and I'll finish it."

"Hah… well, as someone who's strong myself, I know you can't really help being strong, but you two ought to know what it means to cooperate."

"Heeheehee, you don't have the right to comment on others either."

A simian demi-human covered in white fur jeered at Rokesh's grumbling with a laugh.

"Hm, that's true. Now then, Demon Claw-dono. About your question earlier, it is not that I am afraid. The Grand King was a valiant individual, but surely everyone present is his equal, am I wrong?"

Rokesh looked to Demon Claw and Iceflame Lightning, and then to the remaining three people.

One of them was an ape-like demi-human who was covered in long white fur.

He wore many protective items made of gold.

He was the king of the Stone Eaters ― Halisha Ankara.

As a superior specimen of his species, he and others like him could gain various special abilities from eating raw minerals. For instance, by eating diamonds, they could temporarily gain physical damage resistance which could only be bypassed by bludgeoning attacks. Usually, only three such abilities could be active at once, but he could stock far more than that number.

That was also a reason why he was called a mutant.

Then, there was the Orthros general who had nodded to him as he had entered the tent.

He wore a suit of intricately carved armor. His equally ornate helmet and his cavalry lance lay beside him. His name was Hektowyzes Ah Rahgara.

His nod to Vijar was not out of respect for Vijar's personal abilities, but towards the Zoastia species as a whole. That was the reason why it made Vijar unhappy.

Still, he could not simply challenge Hektowyzes to a duel to prove his strength. Certainly, Vijar would be the victor in a one-on-one fight. However, Hektowyzes had not gained fame because of his individual might, but because he was a renowned general who could triumph despite having a tenth of his opponent's forces. The tables would be turned if it came to mass combat, and there was nothing more shameful than crowing about one's personal strength and saying "I'm stronger than you" while knowing this. That was why Vijar had a hard time dealing with that Orthros.

The last person was the fellow member of his species, who had remained silent all this while: Muar Praksha.

Also known as "Blacksteel," he was a ranger who was often called a shadow running through the darkness.

He was a rarity among the Zoastia, who typically took advantage of their physical gifts and fought with brute force. He used stealth, surprise, and cunning techniques as part of his fearsome assassination skills. His nickname came from his unshakable will and the fact that he would eliminate any quarry he had marked.

While he did not think he would lose to them, every person seated here would be a troublesome opponent for him in a straight fight.

"Then let's go back to the topic of why we're not attacking them. That would be because I received orders from Jaldabaoth-sama in the city of Rimun."

"What's that? Is that true?"

Vijar's question was due to the fact that among this army of 40,000, Rokesh was the only one who had had direct contact with Jaldabaoth. By the time the others had been summoned to this city of Kalinsha, his men were already in fighting order and waiting to be deployed.

Jaldabaoth was always teleporting between multiple cities, so there were few opportunities to receive directions from him in person.

"Jaldabaoth-sama said to give the humans occupying the city several days' time."

"Give them time? Whatever for?"

"He said it was to frighten them. There are fewer than 10,000 people in that city. There are fewer still people among them who can fight. In contrast, all of us here can fight… how afraid do you think the humans holed up in that city will be?"

"I see… so that's it. Jaldabaoth-sama is truly fearsome."

"Heeheehee, indeed. That said, I do understand how you feel, Vijar-dono. The question now is how much more time we should give them?"

"No, we can decide exactly how many more days to give them. That said, we might have two months of rations stored up, but it would not be good to actually give them that long."

"Is it because we still need to deal with the prisoners?"

There were only 10,000 demi-humans left to manage an overwhelming number of human captives. While demi-humans were stronger than humans, quantity was a quality all of its own. It was very likely that they would not be able to deal with any riots or uprisings.

"Precisely. That's why I have gathered all of you here, in order to hash out our plans for the future. Personally, I think we can make our move after another couple of days and wrap things up. Does anyone disagree?"

None of the demi-humans present ― Vijar included ― objected to him.

"All right. We attack in two days. We will continue observing them until then."

There was the possibility the enemy might launch a counterattack, though he did not think it very likely.

"That would mean it's about time to deal with the humans we've brought along, then."

Some demi-humans ate human beings. Species like those preferred fresh food.

The Zoastia had no particular preference for manflesh. To them, beef and horse meat were better. However, most of them would prefer fresh human meat to beef jerky.

In contrast, Iceflame Lightning had a look of revulsion on her face. Perhaps it was because the Magelos did not eat humans, as they were visually similar to human beings.

"Heeheehee. How about killing and eating them in front of their city tomorrow. That ought to terrorize them, no?"

"An excellent idea. After that, we'll declare that we're attacking the next day…"

"There's no need to press them that hard. What'll happen if they surrender? Fighting is only fun because they have hope, and thus struggle with all their might. Nothing's more boring than killing people who have lost the will to live."

Vijar wanted to fight strong foes. There was no point in facing weaklings.

"Indeed. Also, there is another important point. This is an order from Jaldabaoth-sama. We must not kill them all, but let a few escape. Therefore, my plan is to kill everyone guarding the western gate ― our side ― and chase away the ones manning the eastern gate."

"In other words, whoever's attacking the eastern gate needs to be able to keep firm control over their men, am I right? Otherwise, it feels like it'll end in a complete slaughter."

After Nasrene said that, everyone's eyes went to a single individual.

"I see… Then you won't mind if I bring all my kin with me, then?"

"Can you leave a few as messengers?"

"Certainly, Rokesh-dono. In that case, Hektowyzes Ah Rahgara and myself will be responsible for the eastern gate."

"After that, we need some people on the north and south walls to give them some pressure. While there's no need to actually take those points, we ought to kill off an appropriate number of defenders there. I'd like to send some ranged fighters over…"

There were three people present who were adept at long-range combat. The person Rokesh chose from among them was the silent Zoastia.

"Muar Praksha-dono."

"―Acknowledged."

That was all "Blacksteel" said in reply.

"Everyone else will be on the western gate. While I don't think there'll be a chance for you to show your stuff, I'll leave any strong opponents that show up there to you. After all, I need to command the entire army, so I won't be able to make it to the frontline."

The remaining three demi-humans ― Vijar included ― all nodded their heads.

"Since we are all in agreement, we shall attack that city in two days. I hope you will all get your rest and gather your strength before the humans wail in despair."

-x-X-x-

Neia swallowed the stomach acid rising inside her as she walked towards the Sorcerer King's room. As she did, an intense sourness spread through her mouth.

She took up the pouch tied to her belt and drank the water within.

The water tasted bad since it was tainted by the odor of the leather which held it, but it helped quell the burning sensation in her throat and the stench in her mouth. However, the anger still remained in Neia's chest, and her face was still pale.

She recalled the stomach-churning scene that she could not forget, even if she wanted to.

The demi-human army had encircled this city for a full three days now.

The enemy had not attacked or attempted to parley, simply letting time pass.

But today, the demi-humans had brought out their captives from the Holy Kingdom to the outer walls of the Lloyds district, where Neia had been posted.

If they had skilled archers or slingers present, they might have been able to launch an attack, but they unfortunately had nobody like that on hand.

Neia was confident of hitting the demi-humans if she used the Sorcerer King's bow. However, launching a rash strike may have triggered an all-out attack. That would have led to a battle of 10,000 against 40,000, and they would have to open the city gates if they wanted to save those captives.

Once the gates were opened, the demi-human forces would surely pour in like an avalanche. Such a thing could not be allowed to happen, and so all they could do was stand aside and watch.

There were less than twenty captives. They were made up of males and females, adults and children, but there were no old people among them. All the prisoners were naked and covered in scars and bruises.

Just as the gathered people of the Holy Kingdom began to think they had been brought out as collateral for some kind of negotiations, a tragedy unfolded.

The demi-humans began to kill the captives.

A demi-human who seemed to be about three meters tall had decapitated a prisoner and then raised the severed head in an inverted position. Neia had clearly seen how the earth had drunk the vast quantities of fresh red blood spilled upon it.

After that, the demi-humans began to butcher the prisoners' corpses.

Neia had seen her father process animal carcasses before. However, the sight of such a thing happening to human beings dealt a mighty blow to Neia's psyche.

After that, the demi-humans ate the captives one after the other, while they were still fresh.

The most cruel part was watching how some people had been eaten alive.

Even now, Neia's ears still rang with a child's cries as a demi-human chewed his belly open. It was accompanied by the sound of his innards being torn out.

Fortunately, Gustav had been wise enough to keep Remedios from following him, under the pretext of protecting the prince. Surely they would have been fighting by now if she had seen something like that.

Neia sighed deeply, then took another mouthful of water and forced herself to swallow it.

She had heard someone say that it would feel better to throw up if one was nauseous, but given that she was heading to the Sorcerer King's room, it would be disrespectful to arrive with the stench of vomit clinging to her.

After checking her breath several times, Neia stood before the door to the Sorcerer King's room.

There was nobody on either side of the door.

Now that the city had been encircled by the demi-humans, there was nobody to spare on protecting ― or rather, keeping an eye on ― the Sorcerer King.

Neia knocked on the door to indicate her presence to the person within.

"Your Majesty, I am Squire Neia Baraja. May I enter?"

"Come in."

After receiving permission, Neia quietly entered through the room's door.

The interior was simply furnished since the demi-humans had wrecked most of it. Even so, it was still more than what anyone else in the city had.

The Sorcerer King stood with his back to Neia as he looked outside the window.

"It seems quite chaotic outside, given how I've seen so many people running around from up here. We've been encircled for four days, but this is the noisiest it's been since the first day. That would mean… are there signs that the enemy is preparing to attack?"

The Sorcerer King had shown no intention of participating in this battle, simply staying in his room without incident. He had not even shown up for the strategic meeting when the demi-human army began fanning out around the city.

Naturally, the Liberation Army's leadership had not been happy about this, but they found it very hard to ask anything of the Sorcerer King after he had said,

"After taking future matters into consideration, don't you think it would be bad if the king of another nation stuck his nose into your business?"

Neia had been ordered to attend various meetings in his place. This was the Liberation Army's plan to share what they knew with the Sorcerer King, and Neia approved of it. However, that had led to Neia witnessing the tragedy which had unfolded earlier.

"…No, the demi-humans haven't made any big moves like that. But… the demihumans, ah… how shall I put this, maybe they are trying to make a show of force, so their positions have shifted a little."

"I see. In that case, this standoff will only continue for a while more, no? The demi-humans are trying to shake your troops and weaken their morale… come to think of it, do you think you can win this battle?"

No. Neia longed to say as much.

For starters, there was a vast difference in the respective strength of their forces.

10,000 humans versus 40,000 demi-humans.

Even that figure of 10,000 included the elderly and children. In addition, they had not yet fully recovered from the wounds ― both physical and mental ― and the fatigue they had incurred at the prison camps.

While the defenders typically had the advantage during a siege, that only applied when both forces were evenly matched.

When one compared the average demi-human to a human commoner, the latter was so weak that even comparing them seemed like a foolish act.

At the very most, the only people who could stand on equal footing with demihumans were the paladins, the priests, and professional soldiers, but they did not have many of those. Compared to the 40,000 strong army they were now facing, it was as pointless as trying to put out a Fire Dragon's breath with a bucket of water.

Still, one could not say this was an entirely unwinnable battle.

There was one person who could beat back the demi-human hordes by themselves, even without counting the Sorcerer King.

Assuming physical exhaustion and lucky hits from the enemy were not a factor, the strongest paladin in the Holy Kingdom ― Remedios Custodio ― could take on about 40,000 demi-humans and kill them all.

However, one could not say there were no powerful individuals in the demihuman army who could stand toe-to-toe with Remedios. In fact, it was very likely that there were such beings out there.

Neia recalled the Grand King Buser, the demi-human who had previously ruled this city. While the Sorcerer King had killed him like he was nothing more than a pile of rubbish, that was simply because the Sorcerer King was incredibly powerful. Buser was overwhelmingly strong in his own right. Neia could not have beaten him, no matter how hard she tried.

Demi-human kings like that might be Remedios's equals, or perhaps even her superiors. They were all very strong in Neia's estimation, so she could not accurately judge the outcome of a showdown between two such powerful beings.

In addition, physical exhaustion had to be taken into consideration if one was being realistic. No matter how strong they were, nobody could escape the spectre of fatigue. Magic could briefly ease it, but fatigue would continue to accumulate once more.

Even after killing an army of 10,000, Remedios could still be attacked in a moment of exhaustion and weakness and be killed by an average demi-human.

Quantity had a quality of its own, after all.

However, if there was some being who could overturn that logic ― Neia's eyes went to the great ruler who still stood with his back to her.

That person would be an absolute force.

An entity who surpassed this world (Overlord).

He was none other than the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown.

As Neia gazed upon his regal back, she suddenly realized that she had not yet answered the Sorcerer King's question, and she hurriedly spoke.

"I, I'm not sure!" Panic caused her to exclaim louder than usual and she blushed before continuing in a normal tone, "―Therefore, I'll do my best to find out."

The Sorcerer King seemed entirely unmoved by this, and asked another question.

"I see. Then, have you learned anything new about the enemy? Have you verified Jaldabaoth's presence?"

"The situation on that front has not changed in the past few days. We have not yet sighted Jaldabaoth among the demi-human forces."

"Hm. That makes things difficult. It may be very hard for me to help you in this defense. After all, I need to replenish the mana I've used up. I must consider the possibility that his plan might be to deprive me of mana before I take any action."

"But of course. Everyone is fully aware of Your Majesty's opinion."

During a strategy meeting, someone had once said they had spotted a demon who looked like Jaldabaoth, but when Neia said they had to make sure, that person had immediately said they had probably been mistaken. Given the mood in the air, it was clear that everyone present ― with the exception of Neia ― was planning to involve the Sorcerer King in the fighting by spreading false reports of Jaldabaoth's presence.

They might despise the undead, but lying to the king of a nation means they have no integrity to speak of. Even when backed into a corner, isn't it proper to display their best side to someone who ought to be respected?

"In that case, what do you make of the demi-humans' movements?"

"Ah, yes, the demi-humans had been previously massing at the west gate, but now they've split their forces and are sending some of their troops to the other ― the eastern ― gate. We believe they're about to make their move ― probably preparing for a siege."

"That is to say, enough time has passed for them to finish building siege weapons, then? Well, that's probably a good thing. After all, the enemy isn't trying to starve you out."

Neia could not tell if it was a good or a bad thing, but they would have no response to starvation tactics.

If the demi-humans attacked on an open field, then they would be promptly annihilated due to the opposition's overwhelming advantage in military strength. However, if they were fighting from behind the protection of the city walls, it would not be such a lopsided battle. Of course, that was merely going from "incredibly bad odds" to "pretty bad odds."

"Of course, that might also be due to the fact that the demi-humans aren't aware of our supply situation. Then again, it's more likely that they simply don't care about a small city like this."

"Well, the demi-humans did conquer the fortress line we saw when we entered the Holy Kingdom, so it would be reasonable for them to hold a small city like this in low regard… if you give them a hard time during the defense and make them feel that a siege is to their disadvantage, that'll draw the battle out. After that, you'll have a very hard fight ahead of you."

It appeared that the Sorcerer King believed that they would have to win this unwinnable battle before the true battle began.

"Your Majesty, may I ask your opinion of how you think the situation will develop?"

"Future developments, hm. I don't honestly know. In truth, one could say that you've lost by being forced to hole up within the city. Taking shelter in a city is typically done under the pretext that reinforcements will arrive. Either that, or the enemy is operating under a time limit or something similar. However, you are simply defending a city in enemy territory, so your chances of victory are despairingly small."

"Still, we managed to send the nobles we freed to the south before this, so we can't say for certain that no help will arrive."

Neia might have said those words, but she knew in her heart that she should not be counting on reinforcements.

The southern armies would need to break through the Demi-human Alliance forces blocking their path to reach Neia's location, and even if they did that, there was still an army of 40,000 demi-humans to contend with.

Fighting repeated battles would be a huge drain on their combat strength. It would be wiser to abandon the 10,000 people in this city.

"That would be good…"

It would seem the Sorcerer King did not believe it for a moment either.

But that was only to be expected. Given the circumstances, who could turn things around without sacrificing anyone― Neia dispelled the notion rising in her head.

His Majesty is here to fight Jaldabaoth, so diminishing his chances of victory by having him waste mana on unrelated manners cannot be allowed.

"…It will take me a while before I can once again cast the teleportation spell which I used on the Orcs, but I can still cast the spell which I occasionally use to return to the Sorcerer Kingdom several more times. Taking a few dozen people with me would not be a problem… but I guess you can't decide who to send, and you won't."

"I am grateful for your understanding, Your Majesty."

Perhaps it would have been a better idea to ask the Sorcerer King to take Prince Caspond and flee, but that move was of dubious merit.

When a king from another nation was willing to commit himself to a fight in order to face a fearsome demon, having a member of one's own royal family shamelessly beg someone else to take them away from the battlefield was utterly disgraceful.

Just as Neia was pondering this information, the Sorcerer King turned to face her for the first time since she had entered the room.

The red points of light in his empty eye-sockets looked straight at Neia. While they had once frightened her, Neia had grown used to them, and she had come to feel that they were quite attractive.

"This is what I think, Miss Baraja. We have ended up in a confrontation with the enemy forces because of the stupidity of the Liberation Army's leadership.

Such a situation cannot be changed by the efforts of a single squire. How about focusing on your personal safety rather than the big picture? You do understand that my nation will accept your allegiance, if you are willing to give it? Given that you have been trained as a paladin, I am certain you will be able to fully exercise your talents in my country."

Neia did not know how to answer, and she hesitated.

While she was grateful that the Sorcerer King was concerned about her, she trembled in fear as she considered what she might lose if she accepted the Sorcerer King's proposal.

The sacrifice which her parents had made.

Her love for her hometown.

She might never be able to return to the nation of her birth.

She remembered several friends she had made.

Many things circled in front of Neia's eyes, and they disappeared one after the other with a poof, but among them was something that refused to shatter, that remained to the end ― in other words, the most important thing.

She was a member of the paladin corps.

While she did not yet know what justice was, it was the only thing Neia could say with her chest puffed out and her head held high.

"As a citizen of the Holy Kingdom, I feel I am bound to save as many of the people as I am able. That is because saving the helpless ― saving those in suffering is common sense."

The Sorcerer King suddenly stopped moving, as though he had been frozen in place.

"…Hm."

The Sorcerer King murmured to himself, and then he stroked his chin.

It would seem Neia's words had struck a chord with the Sorcerer King, because he studied Neia once more.

It was just a throwaway remark, and Neia found herself fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Am I correct to say that when the demi-humans attack, you will be posted to the walls near the western gate, on the left side of the city? It is a very dangerous place, and counting on me to save you will be a mistake, you know?"

"I know that very well."

Neia was skilled in archery, and given that she had been assigned to the thick of the action, there was no doubt that she would be killed in action. However, she had steeled herself for death, since she would be going onto the battlefield.

She drew her lips thin, and Neia looked the Sorcerer King in the eye.

"Ahh, those are his eyes. I liked those eyes."

The Sorcerer King's self-directed mutterings made Neia blush. While the Sorcerer King probably did not mean anything else by his words, hearing someone she respected say that he liked her made quite an impact.

"In that case… I'll lend you several things, Miss Baraja. Please make good use of them."

There was a whoosh as something huge suddenly appeared out of thin air. The same thought had crossed her mind when the Sorcerer King had produced the bow in the carriage, but magic truly was a surprising thing.

Neia had seen the magic item ― the suit of armor ― which had sprung forth from nothing. It was a suit of armor which looked like a green carapace, which the late Grand King Buser had worn.

"This, this is―"

"This armor ought to be useful, by which I mean it will ensure your safety."

The armor was too large for Neia ― and its dimensions would be quite sizable for just about any human being. However, given what Neia knew about enchanted armor, it would not be an issue if she tried it on.

Ordinary armor would need to be altered by a blacksmith in order to suit its wearer's frame. However, there was a limit to how far such alterations could go.

Such a large suit of armor simply could not be resized enough to fit.

However, it was different for magical armor. Anyone could wear it regardless of gender or race, provided there were no special restrictions on its use. While the changes would not be too drastic, the armor would automatically adjust its shape to fit its wearer.

One could even have a giant wear a suit of armor no bigger than his own thumb, but the durability of magic armor varied with the materials it was made with and their quality. A ring-sized suit of armor would be easily damaged if it was subjected to spells, acids, or equipment-sundering attacks, and that would greatly reduce the potency of the enchantments upon it.

There was no such thing as a free lunch, and so-called shortcuts often did not work out. Even so, Buser's armor was probably quite tough, given that it was this size even without anyone wearing it.

"In addition, I will lend you three more things." The Sorcerer King personally handed those items to Neia. "A circlet, gauntlets, and a necklace. Are any of them redundant with your personal gear?"

"No, not at all. I did not have any magic items to begin with."

"Excellent. Now, I will briefly explain how to use these items."

As the name implied, the Circlet of Iron Will defended the mind against charm, fear, and other such mental attacks. Still, while the circlet rendered one immune to magical attacks, it could only strengthen the wearer's resistance against attacks derived from special abilities. Another thing she had to note was that the circlet would also negate positive magical effects.

The gauntlets were Gauntlets of Archery. Out of all the spells in the world, there were some which could only be used if their caster possessed shooting skills, which was why the Sorcerer King had made that item. However, the Sorcerer King had abandoned those spells after making that item, and so the gauntlets were useless to him. They had languished in storage until now.

Finally, the necklace was an item that consumed mana to cast the third-tier divine spell [Heavy Recover]. While one could use it indefinitely as long as one possessed sufficient mana, it consumed more magical power than casting it directly. Given Neia's meager reserves of mana, it was best for her to consider it a one-use item. Therefore, she would have to think carefully about when to best use it. This item had not been made by the Sorcerer King or his peers; he had simply been taken with its appearance and had purchased it from somewhere.

Indeed, a closer look revealed that the necklace was of very fine workmanship.

It looked like a goddess holding up an emerald. Indeed, it was a very attractive work of art.

Neia looked at these valuable items, and then shook her head in refusal.

"I, I'm very sorry, Your Majesty, but I cannot accept these items."

The magic items that the Sorcerer King offered were most definitely topnotch gear. However, what would happen if Neia died while wearing them?

These items would fall into the hands of the demi-humans, and they would end up strengthening the demi-humans instead. Even if they did not fall into the hands of the demi-humans, what would happen if her corpse went missing during the chaos of battle and her equipment vanished with her? More to the point, Neia already had the bow which the Sorcerer King had bestowed upon her, so how could she be discontent with that and borrow more things from him?

Speaking of which, she ought to return that bow to the Sorcerer King before going to battle.

"Why is that? These items will be useful to you in the fighting to come, will it not? After all, you are a warrior-type, and you lack mana, so you might not even be able to use that necklace's ability. Why don't you take it and give it a try?"

Neia confessed her uneasiness in response to the Sorcerer King's question.

The Sorcerer King heard her words and simply smiled.

"How about this? Go onto the battlefield with the determination to bring these items back to me, no matter the cost."

Neia had been resolved to do just that all along, but resolve alone could not break through her uneasiness. After hearing her answer, the Sorcerer King waved his hand in a magnanimous fashion.

"Oh, just take them. I have spells that can locate magic items. I can find them even if they're lost."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is… all right, no need to stand on ceremony. Make use of them."

If the Sorcerer King could make facial expressions, he would have probably been smiling ― those thoughts ran through Neia's mind as she heard his kind words.

Now that he had offered them with such sincerity, rejecting them would be an act of rudeness. The notion of accepting his goodwill warred with the desire to apologize for incurring a loss to the Sorcerer Kingdom. Those thoughts swirled in Neia's mind―

"Well? Can you not make me a promise? A promise to return them all to me afterwards?"

"…!"

Come back alive. That was the meaning behind those words, and they moistened the corners of her eyes with tears. Only her parents had ever treated her with such kindness before.

The Sorcerer Kingdom is blessed to have such a merciful sovereign. As Neia thought that, she bit her lip and lowered her head.

"Thank you very much! I swear I will return them!"

"…Hm."

She lifted her head, and wiped away the tears.

She could not put the armor on here after all. However, putting on the gauntlets, necklace, and circlet should not be an issue. She began by fastening the necklace around her neck.

In the moment that she put it on, she immediately understood the abilities of the magic item and how to use them. It was as though the item was a part of her, and making use of it was as natural and effortless as using her own limbs.

Next was the circlet. However, she did not feel anything special when she put it on. Still, according to the previous explanation, she would probably understand when the time came.

The last item was the gauntlets.

Unlike the others, she could clearly feel the difference.

Power coursed through her.

It felt very much like the time she had strengthening magic cast upon her. Her muscles felt like they had suddenly doubled and her movements were both swifter and more precise. In addition, she could make out tiny details, and even her cardiovascular fitness had improved. She felt full of stamina.

It was as though every aspect of her physical abilities had improved.

"This is amazing…"

Strength gained through training accumulated slowly, so it was hard to perceive. However, she could clearly feel the intense augmentation of her physical capabilities. More surprising was the fact that she did not feel any awkwardness in controlling her body given the differences between her previous and present self.

"Magic really is amazing…"

The Sorcerer King shrugged as he heard Neia react in awe.

"That's true. In fact, I've been quite surprised by utility spells myself."

"By that, do you mean…?"

"Spells which can create sugar and pepper and ice. Then there are spells which can even create ores, though they're not very mana efficient. Some cities also depend on utility spells to supplement their water supply… It would seem utility spells are closely linked to the development of this world's culture."

"Is… that so?"

Why would a great magic caster like the Sorcerer King be surprised by such trivial spells? Still, it must make sense, given that the Sorcerer King had said it.

And indeed, utility spells had come to be of great use in many places; daily life might not have been possible without such magic.

"Also, there are those sewers which use slimes… or rather, coexist with them… ah, I'm straying from the point. Miss Baraja, pay me no heed and return to your work."

In truth, there was no task more important than keeping the Sorcerer King company. However, it was also true that they lacked manpower, and Neia had a surprising number of things to do. While said tasks were largely related to standing guard, which anyone could do, they were still very important.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I promise that I will return alive."

"Ah, if things get really bad, then flee to the east. In all likelihood, that's the only place where you might have a chance to survive."

Neia picked up Buser's armor and bowed before leaving the room.

-x-X-x-

Inside the operations room, Remedios Custodio and three paladins studied a force distribution chart.

Unlike how she would make people sigh in exasperation most of the time, her mind was nimble and perceptive when it came to warfare. While her younger sister would say, "You've got a great body there, all you need now is to study a little more," she could not have gained her present fighting skill if she had heeded that advice.

That was because she was different from her sister, who had been blessed with three gifts ― wisdom, talent, and beauty.

Our fighting strength is 10,000. Theirs is estimated at 40,000. Our win conditions are to hold on until reinforcements from the south arrive, or the enemy retreats… we might actually be able to do it if there were ten of me around…

Our fighting strength is 10,000. Theirs is estimated at 40,000. Our win conditions are to hold on until reinforcements from the south arrive, or the enemy retreats… we might actually be able to do it if there were ten of me around…

If the members of the Nine Colors who had been chosen for their fighting strength were present, they might have been able to put up a good fight, but the fact remained that the present situation was incredibly grim.

If we want to buy time, we need to counterattack the enemy hard during their first offensive. That'll put the enemy on their guard and give us the time we need. After all, the enemy doesn't know what forces we possess, right?

She had also seriously considered the proposal of launching a first strike.

They could gather their forces at the east gate and crush the enemy there in one mighty blow before wheeling around to head for the west gate.

However, she had quickly reached a conclusion ― all would be lost if they failed. It was very likely that the west gate would be lost to the enemy's main force before they defeated the small detachment positioned at the east gate, and thus the city would fall.

And of course, there was the disparity between their forces. They had to compensate for that gap if they wanted to win.

But that's impossible.

Remedios wrinkled her brow and looked at the tokens placed on the map.

She hoped for a flash of inspiration to descend from on high. However, no such thing happened.

"Do you lot have any ideas?"

"Yes. Personally speaking―"

She listened to the paladin's proposal, shot it down, then asked for more ideas, and the process repeated until none of them could come up with anything. Just then, a knock rang through the weighty silence of the room.

"Captain, you're here."

The person who entered was the Vice-Captain ― Gustav Montagnés. It felt like she had been saved by the bell. It would seem the other paladins in the room also felt that way, as a faint glimmer of hope appeared on their crestfallen faces.

"Ahh, you came just in time. I wanted to ask if you had any ideas."

Remedios gestured to the map sprawled across the table with her chin. It would seem Gustav had gotten her meaning, because he nodded.

"I can supply a suggestion or two, but can I discuss a few things with you beforehand?"

"Hm? What is it? Go ahead and tell me."

"Ah…" Gustav continued in a more subdued tone. "Actually, things have gotten quite bad. Some of the people want to know if the Sorcerer King will be taking part in the fighting."

The Sorcerer King would not be fighting in this battle. This was both to recover the mana he had expended until now, and to account for the case that Jaldabaoth's plan was to make him expend mana here.

Remedios had difficulty accepting the first reason, since her little sister Kelart could restore her mana within a day. However, everybody else felt that the Sorcerer King could not be held to the same standards as human beings, given that he had taken back the city single-handedly, and so Remedios said nothing more. Come to think of it, there had been priests present as well, and they too had agreed with him.

However, even Remedios could accept the second reason.

Who could tell if Jaldabaoth was hiding within the enemy ranks?

In the first place, they had brought the Sorcerer King here to fight Jaldabaoth.

While it would be best if both of them ended up killing each other, she had no wish to see the Sorcerer King defeated. Therefore, it was only natural for her to work as closely as she could with the Sorcerer King so that he could fight to the fullest of his ability, even if she intensely despised the undead.

Even so, there had still been some who wanted the Sorcerer King to take the field. Some of the nobles who had remained in the city had offered huge sums of money ― which had made even Remedios's eyes go so wide that they looked like they might fall out of her head ― to induce him to fight, but the Sorcerer King had rejected their offers.

"What's wrong with that? The Sorcerer King won't be fighting in this battle. You should know that too, right? Just tell them and be done with it."

"Captain. We can't tell them about this. If things go badly ― no, even if all goes well, it'll cause a huge uproar."

"Why is that?"

She could not understand it. What was wrong with the Sorcerer King not fighting?

After seeing the doubt written all over Remedios's face, Gustav frowned and replied:

"That's because the people who watched us take back the city know that there are things which we paladins can't do, but which the Sorcerer King can accomplish with only two people."

She still could not understand what Gustav was trying to say.

"That may upset some people, but that's how things are. What's wrong with that?"

"No, what I'm trying to say is, they trust the Sorcerer King more than us paladins. If the people of this city learn that the Sorcerer King ― the most reliable and powerful asset we have ― is not fighting, morale will plunge to rock bottom."

"Trust? …You do realize the Sorcerer King is undead, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter that he's undead. The Sorcerer King freed the city and rescued prisoners. So to them, the Sorcerer King is a hero."

"A hero?"

Remedios rolled her eyes as she repeated Gustav's words back to him.

"The people think he's a hero? But he's undead, no? They hate the living and love death. He abandoned the hostages ― no, he killed them off without any hesitation, didn't he?"

"It's all the same to them. Also… it would be one thing if they simply regarded him as a hero. If this goes on, people will start thinking of the Sorcerer King as their savior. If things go wrong, it might affect the Holy King's―"

"The Holy Queen's, you mean," Remedios's face twisted into a frown. "I've said this many times already, but Calca-sama must be locked up somewhere. There were paladins and priests collapsed everywhere after that battle with Jaldabaoth, but we couldn't find Calca-sama and Kelart anywhere. He wouldn't need to move her if she was dead. I'm sure she must have been taken hostage."

"I misspoke, Captain. I feel that it might be a problem that could cause problems for Her Majesty's reign."

"Her reign?"

"Yes. …Our fortress line has been smashed and nobody can stop the demihumans from invading. There will start to be people who want to flock to the side of a supreme being who can protect them."

"But he's undead… you know?"

"I say again, it doesn't matter if he's undead. He saved them in their hour of need, didn't he?"

Remedios still could not understand that point.

"But the Sorcerer King wasn't the only one fighting, was he? We fought too, under the Holy Queen's flag."

"Yes. You're right. We all fought, even the common folk. But even with all that taken into consideration, if the Sorcerer King does more than us, then there might be people who would value him over the Holy Queen and seek to make him their new ruler."

"Hah?!" Remedios unconsciously raised her voice. "How did that happen? Not only is he a hero, that undead creature's being placed above the Holy Queen? Do you even know what you're saying?"

"No, the people―"

"―It doesn't matter, he's still undead! How much suffering and effort do you think Her Majesty had to go through for the sake of the people? How could the people―"

"―Please wait, Captain!"

"What do you mean, wait?! What the hell are you talking about, Gustav? No, is that what you truly believe?"

In the grip of her powerful emotions, Remedios slammed her fist down on the table. As someone who had entered the realm of heroes, that blow crushed the area of the table beneath it and gouged a chunk out, which fell to the ground.

The bizarre damage pattern looked like some giant had pressed out the edge of the table, and it spoke of the extent of her anger.

"Please calm down, Captain! We all know the greatness and kindness of Her Majesty as a matter of course. There's no way the Sorcerer King or any other undead creature could compare to the great Holy Queen. But we only know that because we stood by the Holy Queen's side."

"Are you out of your mind? Even if they've never had an audience with her before, there's no way anyone would respect the undead of another country more than the ruler of their own nation! You're delusional!"

"Captain!" Gustav exclaimed, his voice close to a wail. "Even if the Sorcerer King is undead and the king of another nation, he was still the one who freed them from torment! And that is something… something that Her Majesty, that we could not do!"

Gustav spewed those words out in one big burst, and the room echoed with the sound of him trying to calm his flustered breathing.

"…What do you all think?"

The paladins who had previously been in the room all looked at each other as they heard Remedios's quiet voice. After that, one of them spoke up, a look of mortal determination on his face.

"Naturally, we paladins do not consider the Sorcerer King a hero. However, we also know that the common folk might feel that way."

After that, another person spoke.

"Most of the people know that the Sorcerer King conquered this city with the strength of just two ― no, one person. Those who have not seen the Sorcerer King's power in turn exaggerate these rumors, further deifying him."

The last one added:

"It is a fact that the Sorcerer King stepped forward by himself to offer aid to a country which was neither an ally nor one that was friendly to him. If we disregard the fact that he is undead… those actions would qualify as heroic."

It would seem Remedios was the only one who could not accept this state of affairs. In that case, how could she respond to Gustav's question after all this had sunk in?

It was true that not having their hero take part in the fighting would cause morale to drop, and thinking about the reasons for that would lead to a commotion. After all, the enemy outnumbered them four to one. Anyone would be in that frame of mind when they thought about having to fight something like that.

"…Then why don't we paint the Sorcerer King as a villain and kill two birds with one stone? How about telling the masses that the Sorcerer King won't help us anymore?"

"Lying would be a very bad idea," Gustav said. "The mood of the people is like a dam just before it bursts. If they learn the truth through one channel or another and discover that we were trying to hide the truth, the matter would spiral out of our control."

"Well, we don't have to tell a flat-out lie. We can do it in a roundabout way."

"If the people think it's a lie, then they'll treat it as a lie."

"Then all we need to do is keep them from seeing the Sorcerer King, no?"

"…So if a riot breaks out or if someone wants to plead with him in person, we'll kill them off?"

"…I don't want to do that."

Gustav sighed heavily.

"This is frustrating. The Sorcerer King showed too much of his strength. I feel we wouldn't be like this if we had taken this city back under our own power… If the worst comes to worst, the country itself might be torn apart. Who's going to stop the Sorcerer King if he declares this land an enclave of the Sorcerer Kingdom?"

"This nation belongs to Her Majesty and the people who live upon it! Not to the undead! And besides, do you think the surrounding nations will accept that?!"

Remedios pounded on the table again. However, Gustav's face did not change, and he interjected:

"They probably will. Captain, you saw them too, right… the monsters in his city. No other nation would want to become the enemy of the Sorcerer Kingdom, which possesses such frightening military power. It would be wiser to simply turn a blind eye to the Holy Kingdom, which is now impotent… and if this place becomes an enclave, the Sorcerer Kingdom's defensive strength will be divided between two fronts, and many of the nearby countries will agree that it is a good thing. And if the people wish for this to happen as well, the Sorcerer King will have just cause for his actions."

"…So being a country of the undead is better than being a nation whose people can't even defend themselves… is that how it is, Vice-Captain?"

Gustav nodded at the paladin's question. "Just so."

"Gustav. Did I make a mistake in bringing the Sorcerer King back here?"

"Of course not, Captain. It was the best choice at the time. However… it is true that we've relied too much on the Sorcerer King's power. Like I said earlier, if we had taken back those prison camps with our own strength, we wouldn't be in this situation now. For all we know, the people might still fear and hate the Sorcerer King, being that he's one of the undead."

"…So what should we do?"

"We need to appease the people, buy time, and defeat the enemy army by ourselves. If we can't even do that, then even if we defeat Jaldabaoth… the fighting might still continue."

Remedios looked up to the ceiling.

"…Then that's what we have to do. Damn that Sorcerer King… did he plan all this out beforehand?"

"I don't know… I really don't know. But he might have."

"Maybe he desires to expand his domain. Is the Sorcerer Kingdom very small?"

"I wouldn't say it's very small, but it's true that the Sorcerer Kingdom is only his city and the land around it, as well as that plain which is rumored to spawn large quantities of the undead."

So that was why he had his eyes on the Holy Kingdom's land. There was certainly more than enough evidence to lead to that conclusion.

"That damn undead creature! We should have asked for Momon's strength after all!"

"Perhaps things might have ended the same if Momon had come. The shock would simply not have been as great as the impact which the Sorcerer King made. A king conquering a city by himself is an incredibly striking image. The fact that said king is one of the undead who are our nation's sworn enemies is also a big factor in this."

In other words, a villain doing a good thing had a greater impact than an average person doing the same thing.

"…Damn it."

Now that silence had returned to the room, Remedios ― who finally realized that Gustav was asking for her opinion ― gave her orders.

"We'll discuss this with Caspond-sama. If, perhaps, though I feel it's not too likely, just in case, Her Majesty has passed away, then he is the most eligible person to be the next Holy King."

"Since we have not yet found any other members of the royal family, that will certainly be the case. We'll go ask his opinion of all this, then."

Remedios left the paladins in the room and led Gustav to Caspond's room.

In the end, things turned out just like Gustav had predicted. The conclusion was that they would delay in answering the people and if the enemy should attack during this time, they would face them without the assumption of the Sorcerer King's assistance and beat them back, thus showing the world that the strength of the Holy Kingdom was still undiminished.

-x-X-x-

There were large movements in the demi-human camp ― upon receiving that report, Neia knew that the time had come.

There was no doubt about it; this was a prelude to an attack.

Neia ran through the city, wearing in the gear she had borrowed from the Sorcerer King.

She knew that the people she was running past were staring at her.

Their line of sight was drawn to the magnificent bow she had borrowed from the Sorcerer King, and then they looked at the armor previously worn by the exruler of the city, the Grand King Buser, and they were filled with shock. Neia's acute hearing picked out people asking a question through the noise of the crowd: "Who is that warrior?" It was answered by "It's the Sorcerer King's squire" or "The woman from the Sorcerer Kingdom."

I'm not from the Sorcerer Kingdom…

It bothered her every time she heard false rumors like that. Part of her wanted to know, yet did not want to know how the rumors had wrongly depicted her. However, she would need to clearly and firmly deny any rumors which might inconvenience the Sorcerer King.

Still, the Sorcerer King's squire…

It pleased her, but just as she was about to smile, a quiet groan came from one of the people she ran past.

Even if he does resemble Father…

That thought passed through Neia's mind as she arrived at the wall adjoining the west gate, where she had been assigned. That was also where practically all of the demi-human forces were gathered.

Close to eighty percent of all the paladins, priests, soldiers and able-bodied men in the city had been stationed at the west gate or in its vicinity. The remaining twenty were assigned to the east gate, while the women, children, old folks, and other non-combatants were keeping watch from the north and south city walls.

Remedios Custodio commanded the west gate. Gustav Montagnés commanded the east gate. Caspond Bessarez was the nominal supreme commander. Of course, the supreme commander stayed within the headquarters in the center of the city and did not venture out.

She could see the west gate at last.

The Sorcerer King had demolished the east gate's portcullis, but the west gate's portcullis was still intact. However, many demi-humans were stronger than human beings. They could probably wreck it easily with logs.

Neia clenched her hand into a fist before it could tremble.

If they broke through this point and made their way inside, it would be very difficult to deal with the demi-humans once they began spreading through the city. In other words, the city would be lost.

Given the circumstances, Neia could not run. She would probably fight and die in combat against a vast swarm of demi-humans.

Neia brought her trembling hand to her mouth, and then bit down.

Don't be afraid! If you're scared, you'll miss a target you could have hit!

The magic item she borrowed from the Sorcerer King could defend against magical mental attacks, but it could not suppress the fear born of her own heart.

Even so, she would probably have been even more frightened if she had not worn it.

As she felt the pain spreading from her fingers, Neia entered a tower on what seemed to be the left side of the city and ran up the stairs to the top of the wall.

Neia had been assigned to the Sorcerer King's side, and so she was apparently the last to show up ― of course, her superior officers had granted her special dispensation so she would not be censured for being late ― and the other people who were supposed to be here were already present.

As Neia prepared to rush off to her station, the paladin commanding the left flank of the western wall stopped her.

"The Sorcerer King ― His Majesty seems to be missing."

For a moment, Neia looked at the paladin in surprise. She had already reported to her superiors that the Sorcerer King had no intention of taking part in this battle, but they were still asking her this question. Did that mean they had not yet informed the others about it?

However, Neia immediately sensed that this was not the case. This man was holding on to a sliver of hope ― he was wondering if the Sorcerer King would change his mind and show up.

Neia looked upon the demi-human army that was sprawled outside the city.

There were well over 30,000 demi-humans there, but the pressure of looking directly at them made them feel more numerous than they actually were.

Neia could understand why anyone would wish for the aid of the overwhelmingly powerful Sorcerer King in the face of such a force. That was because Neia had once felt the same way too. However―

"Yes. The Sorcerer King is not here. That's because this is our ― the Holy Kingdom's battle."

The paladin was speechless for a moment.

Neia slipped past him and ran to her post―

"―Hold on! Squire Neia Baraja!"

"Yes!"

Neia stopped and stood at attention.

"Stand by here for the time being."

"Eh?!"

Neia looked around. This place was close to the exit of the tower which led to the top of the city wall. A lot of people would be moving through this place.

Would she not be getting in everyone's way if she stood here? In addition, this place was far from Neia's assigned position, which was close to the center.

"May, may I ask the reason for this? Is there something you need me to do?"

"No, no, it's not like we need you to do anything, it's actually a little troublesome. …Squire Baraja. Just stay put here. Do you understand?!"

"Ah, yes…"

She had no idea what was going on, but there must have been some reason for it. There was no reason to keep a trained soldier here for no reason when the fighting might break out at any moment.

Was my assignment changed? Is it so that I can focus on sniping the enemy commanders? …The bow I borrowed from the Sorcerer King looks amazing even at a glance, so does that mean they're using me as a trump card?

"I understand. How long will I be waiting? Also, where shall I wait?"

"Ah, um, well, just until the enemy moves in. As for where, anywhere is fine."

"Huh? I need to wait right until the last moment?"

It was indeed weird. Just as a sense of wrongness began to fill Neia, several men who looked like they had come from the militia carried a huge pot up the stairs. This was probably food for the defenders standing by on the walls. They were sweating far more than the cold weather warranted, and it was clear that these men had come back and forth many times. It was only to be expected, given that they were feeding several hundred men.

Neia leaned against the wall to give them room to pass, and the men moved hurriedly past her. However, one of them lifted their head a little and noticed Neia's face.

"Huh? Aren't you the Sorcerer King's squire ― ah, no, would that be you, ma'am?"

"Ah, no need to be so formal… er, forgive me. Yes. I have been assigned the duty of serving as the Sorcerer King's squire."

Perhaps they had heard Neia speak with the man, but the other pot-bearers stopped and looked at Neia in surprise. It was probably for the same reason as the man from just now.

She was slightly embarrassed to be known as the Sorcerer King's squire, but at the same time she felt very proud of herself.

The men did not know how Neia felt, and they worriedly asked, "I say, ah, actually, there's something I'd like to ask the Sorcerer King―"

"―Stop that! No, could I please ask you to save it for later? She's very busy. Would you mind carrying on with your work?"

Suddenly, the paladin stepped between Neia and the men, as though to hide her.

That was a strange thing to do. It looked as though he did not want her to speak with those men―

Was that the reason for the order just now? He doesn't want me to talk to them…

why is that? Is it because they were going to ask a question about the Sorcerer King?

She did not know why he was doing this, but finding the answer would be simple enough.

"I don't mind. What seems to be the problem?"

Since the paladin did not want her to speak, then she would just have to address them directly.

"Squire Baraja!"

"Are you trying to keep people from asking about the Sorcerer King?!"

Neia answered as loudly as the shout which had been directed at her.

In truth, it was quite shameless to keep borrowing the Sorcerer King's reputation like this, but she had to make sure the Holy Kingdom was not doing anything which might negatively impact the Sorcerer King. She did not want her home country to disgrace itself.

Neia gently addressed the man who had asked her the question earlier. Of course, she knew that it was probably going to frighten him, even if she felt her tone was gentle.

"I will answer to the best of my ability if your question is related to the great Sorcerer King. That said, I am not of the Sorcerer Kingdom, so I regret to say there are many things I do not know either."

"Eh?! But you ― aren't you from the Sorcerer Kingdom, ma'am?"

"Eh?! No, no, it's not like that. I'm a squire from the paladins of this country."

"Eh? Really?"

"Well, yes? So you don't need to be all formal with me…"

The crowd burst into a commotion. Perhaps it was because the paladin had shouted at her just now, but at some point the militiamen on the walls had started looking her way.

While matters had taken quite an embarrassing turn, she could not let herself look bad now that she had invoked the name of the Sorcerer King. Neia puffed up her chest proudly, determined to let all the soldiers present hear her. It would seem the paladin had resigned himself to the fact that he could not hide this, and so he stood to one side while glaring angrily at Neia.

"Then, first off… That armor of yours looked like something that the boss of those goat-headed monsters wore. Were you the one who defeated it?"

"No, not at all. The previous wearer of this armor was the Grand King Buser, and the Sorcerer King slaughtered him with a single spell."

Ohhh, the crowd enthused.

She could hear snatches of conversation from the crowd: "He actually beat that monster!" "I can't believe he used only one spell," "Did he really take down a whole city by himself… he actually defeated so many demi-humans…" "He's super strong… I think I'm falling for him…" "He's not like the undead I know at all…" and so on.

Even though they were whispering into each others' ears or muttering to themselves, Neia's keen ears could clearly hear them.

Of course, it made her very happy to know that others felt the same way about the great man she so admired. This was particularly true for those people who maintained that opinion despite knowing that he was undead.

His Majesty's efforts were not in vain, there are people out there who get it…

"Then, then, ah, will His Majesty be lending us a helping hand this time round?"

The ruckus fell silent in an instant, and that reaction told Neia that this question was a critical one.

"…His Majesty will not be taking part in this battle. This is because it is a battle that we, as citizens of the Holy Kingdom, are fighting to save our nation, and not another country's war. In addition, His Majesty needs to conserve mana for when he faces Jaldabaoth."

The men's faces fell as they heard her reply. Neia prepared herself for a rebuke—

"Well, that makes sense… normally, the king of another country wouldn't come over by himself. Heaven will punish us if we're not grateful to him despite all he's done for us."

"Yeah. Also, she said that he's saving up his mana to defeat Jaldabaoth."

"…That king is very cool-headed, but even so he's a man who'll choose a method that saves more people… no, he's undead. In that case, there must be a reason why he won't take part in this battle. I mean, I saw it back then."

"Ahh, I saw it too. It's true that we're the ones who value this country the most. ―I'll protect my wife!"

"What are you talking about?"

"We came from the prison camps before this city was liberated―"

She could hear voices of goodwill from all around her.

Of course, there were some who were unhappy that the Sorcerer King was not coming to help. However, they were outnumbered by the people who could understand the Sorcerer King's considerations, and it warmed her heart.

"May I return to my post now?"

Neia addressed her question to the paladin. She now understood why he did not want her to go to her post earlier. In that case, there ought to be no problems in letting her head there now.

The paladin did not hide how he felt as he told Neia to "Go," with a bitter look on his face.

Neia walked past the soldiers who were loudly discussing the Sorcerer King and arrived at the place she had been assigned to. She then intently studied the enemy encampment.

***

It was a vast army. It boasted enough manpower to devour everyone here in one gulp. It was the enemy which would be attacking them.

She felt like she was going to throw up again.

How many times had her father felt like this when he was manning the fortress line?

Neia looked up at the sky, which was as overcast as her heart.

●

The demi-human army made their move during the day.

Neia hurried to finish up her porridge.

Said porridge was made of oat grains boiled with milk and served in a wooden bowl. Thanks to the winter air outside, it was cold by the time it reached Neia's hands and, frankly speaking, it was awful. However, if she did not eat her body would not be able to endure the extended exertion it would have to go through afterwards, and there would be no more food waiting for her. In addition, while there was supposed to be a relief shift for her, Neia had the feeling that she would not be successfully relieved, and that she would be too busy for a proper meal later on. That was why they had been given such a large portion for lunch.

She forced the spoon into her mouth, forcing herself to swallow the thick, white clumps of oatmeal that were swollen with milk.

The sheer amount she had to swallow bloated her belly, and the knowledge that this horrible stuff might be her last meal filled her with despair.

At the battlements overlooking the demi-human army, Neia curled herself up on a cotton mat. Her grey-colored coat would be her only defense against the winter cold from now on. The militiamen had started eating at the same time as her but they had not yet finished.

Everyone was frowning. Clearly nobody was happy with the taste. That could not be helped.

However, their tense expressions were not due to the oatmeal porridge. Their eyes were not looking at the food in their hands, but the demi-humans making their advance.

There was no way anyone could be happy ― or hopeful ― when looking upon those overwhelming numbers.

Then there were those who had once been prisoners. Their taste of demi- human rule had engraved an intense fear into them. They were under so much stress that they were unable to eat.

What would the Sorcerer King do under these circumstances?

Would he give a grand, spirited speech to heighten their will to fight? Or would he laugh it off?

Neia had no idea what heroic actions he would take. Still, even if she knew, she could not emulate him. After all, she was completely different from the Sorcerer King, who was both a hero and a king.

Also, it would probably cause problems if Neia said something like "relax and don't worry" to them. After all, appropriate tension was what drove things forward.

Their faces might have been downcast, but there was no sign that they had given in to despair, nor were there any signs that they wanted to flee. There was something about them, something that one could only find in soldiers who had prepared themselves to meet their fate.

The reason for that was apparently due to something that one of the militiamen ― who had been one of the first to be freed from the prison camps ― had said about the Sorcerer King. It spread through the soldiers stationed at the walls like wildfire.

Lives were not equally important.

They were unhappy when they heard he had killed a hostage whom the demihumans were holding. It was a ruthless act that was very characteristic of the undead. However, the people who had been there strenuously insisted that it was not the case. They spoke of how that incomparably powerful Sorcerer King had said,

"Even I would become the victim in the face of someone stronger than me."

Neia remembered those words too. Back then, he had seemed extremely human, even radiating a tragic stoicism which felt like determination and resolve personified. It was a powerful promise to protect those things which were important to him and it had a persuasive power to it which could not be put into words.

And then, they thought about what would happen to the people dear to them if they were defeated here.

Their fighting spirit was strengthened by a powerful sense of purpose, which said "I don't want to let my loved ones go through hell again."

Had His Majesty considered that things might end up like this all that time ago?

If he had not said those words to stiffen the people's resolve, their forces might have lost their morale in the face of the overwhelming army before them, and they might even have dissolved into a rout.

Neia had only seen the Holy Queen once. She had almost no idea of her abilities or her character. Still, she was certain the Sorcerer King was superior to her as a ruler in both aspects. Or rather, the Sorcerer King was probably the sort of sovereign who was known as the King of Kings, the highest order of monarch, even among other kings.

"And here I used to feel that the people of the Sorcerer Kingdom were pitiful because they were ruled by the undead…"

However, they might have been very lucky now that she thought about it.

Those words caught in Neia's throat, did a loop and refused to leave her mouth.

After all, it would not be good if the people around her heard them. Just then―

"Confirmed enemy advance! All hands prepare for battle!"

A great shout came from the distance.

Everyone gulped down their porridge and went to battle stations.

If an army which was over 10,000 strong made its move, the air would shudder, to the point where it might even shake the walls of the city. It felt like the oncoming pressure would squash them flat.

In fact, Neia's acute hearing had picked up the earthshaking clamor of an advancing army, and despondent wails rose up from the militiamen.

Morale was falling fast.

Still, there was nothing Neia could do, and she was not in a position to do anything either. Neia's job was to fill every enemy who entered her range with arrows.

Ever since this city had been taken back, she had spent every waking moment practicing her archery when she had not been performing her duties as a squire.

She mused that it was thanks to that practice that she had gotten used to Ultimate Shooting Star Super, and she was now able to use it properly. Still, why are the demi-humans attacking now? Attacking at night would be better for them… do they have something in mind? If the Sorcerer King were here, I could ask him about this…

The absence of the magic caster who had walked beside or in front of her for the past month made her feel like there was something important missing from her heart.

No. I can't rely on His Majesty for everything. I need to stand on my own two feet…

Although I'm not sure exactly what the demi-humans are planning, there ought to be a reason for launching their attack in broad daylight. In that case, it would be best not to be careless.

As Neia observed the demi-humans from the battlements, the frontline of demi-humans drew her attention.

…Hey, that's…

There was an Ogre standing three meters tall in the front rank. That demihuman carried a massive weapon.

It was some kind of ranged weapon that was protected by a wooden shield. It was a ballista. Although it seemed just right for the demi-human due to the latter's massive size, the fact was that they could be used as siege weapons.

Many Ogres carried these weapons, which ought to have been mounted in place, and they stood in a row.

Had they scavenged them from a city and remodeled them for upright shooting? The drums thundered, and the ballistae were prepared to fire.

And then―

―The city walls literally began to shake. The battlements collapsed in some places. While they would have to have been lucky not to take any casualties given the circumstances, luck was with them for now.

A gigantic arrow shattered the battlements. It was not so much an arrow as a javelin. A thick javelin that was longer than Neia was tall raced through the air and embedded itself in the walls. At this point, the only word for it was "siege weapon." Surely nobody could take a hit from it and survive.

The Ogres looked like they were preparing for a second volley.

"You bastards!"

Neia stared at them.

The Ogres were far, far away.

Given the power of her bow, she could probably hit them at that range.

However, its penetration ability would be greatly diminished, and the fact was that she could not practice long-range shooting like this within the city limits.

She did not know the range to them, and she was not confident that she could shoot through the ballistae's shields and kill their wielders.

That being the case, all they could do was open the gates and fight a pitched battle to kill the ballista team, but that would be an extremely foolish move.

In other words, all they could do was keep on taking this one-sided attack.

We have to pull back… but if we do, we can't stop the enemy advance. What kind of plan does the brass have?

Although the enemy was only shooting so far, they would move to take the walls if the men retreated, and if the enemy seized the walls, then the city was all but lost.

They would take control of the stairs leading down from the walls and force the soldiers around it back to open the gates in order to let the main body of their forces into the city. All they needed to do was force that sequence of events through by dint of sheer power. There was nothing they could do about it. Even Remedios would have a hard time being surrounded by enemies in a melee.

In that case, all they could do was sacrifice their rear guard and flee the city from the east. However, that would probably lead to the situation they had discussed in a previous strategy meeting ― they would be harried along the plains, or they would be crushed between this army and the one arrayed against the south.

What would the paladin commanding the west gate decide?

Would he fall back, or would he fight to the end?

As Neia contemplated the matter, a second volley came from the enemy.

The walls shook again as the lance-sized projectiles struck it. The trembling felt more intense than the last time, and at the same time she heard an unrecognizable sound.

"Abbbahhhhh!"

She looked at the source of the sound and witnessed a horrific sight.

One of the ballista bolts had shot clean through a wall and impaled a militiaman hiding behind it. Blood bubbled out of his mouth. Several seconds later, the man's twitching stopped and he collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The bolt had nailed him to the wall like an insect specimen, and his arms and legs dangled limply downwards.

Screams broke out from around her as the men saw the hideous corpse which had suddenly appeared among them.

Neia grabbed the necklace which the Sorcerer King had lent her, and bit her lip.

That was a fatal wound. No amount of healing magic could cure that.

The death of one soldier did not greatly affect their fighting strength.

However, the fear generated by his gruesome death infected the surroundings.

The thought that they might be next and that there was nowhere safe for them triggered the survival instincts of the men, and their bodies trembled.

"[Under Divine Flag]!"